[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 162 (Friday, December 16, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13693-S13694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    FORMER SENATOR WILLIAM PROXMIRE

  Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I rise today to mourn the passing and 
celebrate the life of William Proxmire--a great Senator, a great 
Wisconsinite, and a great man. It is particularly fitting that we pay 
tribute to Senator Proxmire during this first part of morning 
business--time he virtually always controlled during his over 30 years 
in the Senate. He was a giant in the Senate in a time when this Chamber 
was filled with giants. He followed his conscience, lived his 
principles, said what he thought, and thought more actively and deeply 
than most.
  Senator Proxmire came to the Senate in 1957, winning a special 
election to fill the seat of Joseph McCarthy. Overjoyed at a Democratic 
pickup in a narrowly divided Senate, Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson met 
Proxmire at the airport to shake his hand. Two years later, Senator 
Proxmire was on the floor of the Senate calling LBJ a ``dictator'' in a 
speech dubbed by the press as ``Proxmire's farewell address.''
  But that was Prox: independent, outspoken, and not at all afraid to 
challenge conventions or conventional wisdom. In fact, there was very 
little that was conventional about William Proxmire.
  He was a Democrat but not a reliable vote for the Democrats--or the 
Republicans, for that matter. He was fiercely protective of consumer 
rights, civil liberties, and oppressed minorities all over the world--a 
true liberal Democrat on social issues. But he also had a legendary 
frugal streak, perhaps a product of his Harvard business school 
background. He believed in the free market and business competition, 
and hated to see money wasted. His Golden Fleece awards and relentless 
scrutiny of Department of Defense procurement were renowned--and shamed 
the powers-that-be into saving many hundreds of millions of taxpayer 
dollars.
  He did not accept sloppiness or waste in Government or in the conduct 
of his own business and personal affairs. He started each day with 
hundreds of push-ups and a 5-mile run. He demanded of his office the 
same sort of efficiencies he demanded from the rest of Government and 
returned one-third of his office budget to the Treasury every year.
  He was as disciplined as he was determined. He still holds the record 
for most consecutive rollcall votes: 10,252 between April of 1966 and 
October of 1988. And there are colleagues still serving today who 
remember his daily morning business speeches on the Senate floor.
  Most of these speeches were on the Convention on the Prevention and 
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This convention languished in the 
Senate for over 20 years, viewed as a lost cause by its few supporters. 
But not William Proxmire. He gave a speech about the convention every 
day the Senate was in session from 1967 to 1986, when the convention 
was ratified by the U.S. Senate by a vote of 83 to 11--3,211 speeches 
in all. One former staff member remembers that Senator Proxmire was 
often the only Member on the floor during his speeches, so he 
concentrated on the Presiding Officer. So one by one, he reasoned and 
cajoled his captive colleagues into supporting this seminal human 
rights measure.
  William Proxmire didn't only fight for his principles, he lived them. 
He was the last of the true populist politicians, who took no campaign 
contributions, spent virtually nothing on his campaigns, and shook the 
hand of almost everyone in the State of Wisconsin--whether they 
supported him or not. Though he broke every rule of modern campaign 
strategy, he won his reelections in landslides and was beloved by the 
people of Wisconsin.
  Senator Proxmire leaves behind his wife Ellen, five children, and 
nine grandchildren. He also is mourned by his Senate family, both those 
Senators who served with him and the members of his staff renowned for 
their professionalism, intelligence and loyalty. Neither Wisconsin nor 
the Senate will see his equal again, and both are the poorer for his 
passing.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor to my colleague from Wisconsin, 
Senator Feingold.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wisconsin is recognized.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I thank the senior Senator from 
Wisconsin, my friend.
  Mr. President, anybody who grew up in Wisconsin in the second half of 
the 20th century regarded William Proxmire as a consummate Wisconsin 
political figure.
  I rise, too, with great sadness to pay tribute to one of Wisconsin's 
and the Nation's great public servants. Senator Proxmire passed away 
early yesterday morning at the age of 90. He was, simply put, a legend 
in Wisconsin, a man who represented the very best of our State, and who 
will be remembered as one of the greatest advocates for a better 
government, and a healthier democracy, to ever serve in this body.

  On this very floor he railed against Government waste, and against 
corruption. I think the American people can be grateful to Bill 
Proxmire for so many things. But, perhaps most of all, we owe him a 
debt of gratitude for his work to change the culture in Congress when 
it comes to wasteful spending.
  He didn't buy into a culture that treats Government spending like a 
tab that someone else will pick up, that tucks pork-barrel spending 
into bills late at night, or lets boondoggles slip by unnoticed. He 
knew that sunlight was the best disinfectant, and he wasn't afraid to 
tear down the drapes, throw open the windows, and let the sun shine in 
on the legislative process. He didn't shy away from public outrage 
about what was wrong with the system--he brought that outrage to bear 
as he fought to change the system for the better. Anyone who comes to 
the floor today to try to put the brakes on a wasteful project, or to 
try to push for budget discipline, can thank Bill Proxmire for the 
example he set, and for the way he challenged the status quo.
  I am not just grateful for what Bill Proxmire did for our State, and 
our country, but, frankly, for the many things that he taught me. He 
was a tireless representative for our State. Watching Proxmire, you 
couldn't help but learn how important it was to listen--really listen--
to the people you represent, and how much you can learn from that 
genuine exchange of ideas. When Bill Proxmire hit the campaign trail, 
it wasn't about a barrage of expensive ads. It was about connecting 
with voters and giving them a chance to have their say--even when they 
said something you didn't agree with. As he once joked, ``The biggest 
danger for a politician is to shake hands with a man who is physically 
stronger, has been drinking and is voting for the other guy.'' And he 
knew that from experience because nobody--nobody ever in the history of 
American politics, I believe--shook more hands than Bill Proxmire.
  And the people of Wisconsin loved him for it. After an early career 
of some tough defeats, once he won, he just kept on winning, with 
reelection margins of 71 percent of the vote in 1970, 73 percent in 
1976, and 65 percent in 1982, when he ran for a fifth 6-year term. 
Incredibly, in those last 2 reelection campaigns he was reelected 
despite refusing contributions altogether. A lot of the money he did 
spend in his campaigns was on postage to return donations.
  As somebody who wanted to run for public office myself, and as 
somebody who kept being asked again, ``where are you going to get the 
money to run?'' Bill Proxmire gave me hope. His example helped me to 
believe that you can run on ideas, not just on money. And that example 
didn't just help me in my run for office, it helped inspire me in the 
fight for the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill, and the 
ongoing fight against the undue influence of money in politics.
  His example of real shoe-leather campaigning went hand in hand with 
his work on open Government. He didn't just want to be accessible 
himself, he thought all of Government should be open and responsive to 
the people it served.

[[Page S13694]]

  In this, as in so many things, he represented the true spirit of 
Wisconsin, which pioneered laws in this area. He once said that ``Power 
always has to be kept in check; power exercised in secret, especially 
under the cloak of national security, is doubly dangerous.'' Today, as 
we struggle for openness and oversight on national security issues, I 
think his words have never been more true, and open, accountable 
government has never been more important.
  And then there's Bill Proxmire's lesson in courage. How many times 
did he stand on this floor and say what needed to be said, truly 
representing the people back home, saying what they would say if they 
stood here themselves, about boondoggle projects, or the importance of 
open government? Here was a man who knew what mattered, and knew how to 
bring attention to a cause no one else was championing.
  He was perhaps most famous for his Golden Fleece Awards, where he put 
the spotlight on the kind of waste that, unfortunately, we still see 
too much of in the Senate today. While most members just let waste pass 
by unnoticed, Proxmire was unrelenting. Here are a couple choice 
examples of Golden Fleece winners: To the National Institute of Dental 
Research in 1984, for sponsoring a $465,000 study on the ``effects of 
orthodontia on psycho-social functioning''; to 190 Federal officials in 
September 1982, for door-to-door chauffeur service costing $3.4 
million; and to the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration in 
February 1977, for a $27,000 study of why prison inmates want to 
escape.
  I think that last one says it all about why the Golden Fleece awards 
struck such a chord with the American public. There's a lot of numbness 
in Washington to wasteful spending, but Bill Proxmire wasn't numb to 
it. He was outraged by it. He had the innate aversion to waste that the 
American people have, people who have to sit down at their kitchen 
tables, work out a budget, and decide what they can afford, and what 
they can't. They think that if they have to do this, we should to. So 
Senator Proxmire stood up and demanded a little common sense, and a 
measure of discipline for the Federal budget. It was very courageous 
and very representative of the people who sent him here, I can tell 
you.
  This is a very sad day for our State. But it is also a day to reflect 
on the Proxmire legacy, and to be proud of the impact he made on our 
state, and on the Nation. He was a fighter, literally and figuratively. 
He was a college boxing champ who managed to hold off two people who 
tried to mug him near the Capitol, and then helped in a dragnet that 
led to their arrest. He was a proud veteran, a newspaper reporter, and 
a dogged campaigner who lost three races for office and was written off 
by a lot of people in Wisconsin politics before he won the race to fill 
the seat of Senator Joe McCarthy after McCarthy died in 1957.
  He was as determined as they come, it was that quality that served 
him so well during his years in this body. It continued to serve him 
all his life, even as he fought a long and difficult battle against 
Alzheimer's disease.
  His wife Ellen, his children and grandchildren are in all of our 
thoughts today. As we remember William Proxmire, and all that he did, I 
feel deeply proud that he represented my State. He did great honor to 
the State of Wisconsin by personifying the highest standards of public 
service in this country. So I humbly honor his memory, and express my 
gratitude for his outstanding service to our Nation to our democracy.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I join the Senators from Wisconsin in 
praising the late Senator William Proxmire. Neither of the Senators 
currently representing Wisconsin was in the Chamber when Senator 
Proxmire was here. The distinguished senior Senator, Mr. Kohl, was 
elected in 1988, when Senator Proxmire retired. Senator Feingold was 
elected in 1992. I had the opportunity to serve 8 years with Senator 
Proxmire. He was a powerful figure. He sat in the last row on the 
extreme right-hand side, the seat now occupied by Senator Rockefeller. 
He was on the floor every day talking about genocide. He was the 
conscience of the Senate, the conscience of the Congress, the 
conscience of the country, really, the conscience of the world speaking 
on that subject every single day.
  He never missed a vote. I don't recollect exactly how many 
consecutive votes he had, but I think it was in the range of 17,000 
that he never missed.
  He had a record for minimal expenditures on campaigns for his own 
reelection. I recollect the average figure was about $173. That figure 
sticks in my mind as to what he spent to be reelected. There is some 
variance on what it costs to be reelected today to the U.S. Senate, but 
he was a towering figure. There ought to be more Senators on the floor 
commenting about him. Even our senior Senator, Mr. Lott, was not 
elected until 1988 and Senator Gregg until 1992, so most of the 
Senators who are around today didn't have the advantage of working with 
Bill Proxmire. There is a difference between knowing about him and 
actually seeing him in action and seeing him work. But he is a legend.
  The Senators from Wisconsin have spoken eloquently about him. I 
wanted to add my voice in tribute to Bill Proxmire. He is still sitting 
in that chair. I still hear talk about the necessity to eliminate 
genocide. That voice, once lonely, is now the predominant voice. A good 
bit of what he has said has been accepted around the world to the 
benefit of humanity.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senator from New 
Hampshire is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 15 minutes 
which was to go to the majority for morning business be expanded a 
little bit and that 7 minutes be yielded to the Senator from Florida, 
then 5 minutes to the Senator from New Hampshire, and then 7 minutes to 
the Senator from Oklahoma.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. KENNEDY. Reserving the right to object, and I don't intend to, 
what is the business before the Senate now?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate is currently in morning business.
  Mr. KENNEDY. And what time do we start the 1 hour prior to the 
cloture vote?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there is 15 minutes 
to be controlled by the majority at the present time. Then the Senate 
will proceed to the debate on the PATRIOT Act.
  Mr. KENNEDY. At that time, after this consent agreement, then the 
hour tolls prior to the cloture vote; am I correct?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The hour begins.
  Mr. KENNEDY. And the time is divided?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.
  Mr. KENNEDY. So just as a point of information, what time do we 
expect that time will begin, if the pending request for time is agreed 
to and whatever time the floor leaders agreed to?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. If the pending request is agreed to, that 
would be 20 minutes from now.
  Mr. KENNEDY. I thank the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the unanimous consent 
request?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Florida is recognized for 7 minutes.

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